Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Steps Down as Bengal Congress President Amid Speculations
News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/21st June 2024
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the longtime chief of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC), has resigned following a crucial meeting of the state committee to analyze the party’s disappointing performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state. The decision, announced by Chowdhury himself, awaits official confirmation from the Congress leadership regarding its acceptance and speculation is rife over his successor.
Chowdhury remarked, “Since Mallikarjun Kharge became the Congress’s national president, there was no state president. Now when the full-time President is appointed you will all come to know that,” indicating his rationale behind the decision.
The resignation comes on the heels of a significant meeting between P Chidambaram, Rajya Sabha member and former Union Finance Minister, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna, the state secretariat. This meeting occurred just prior to Chowdhury’s resignation announcement, adding intrigue to the unfolding political developments.
A five-time Lok Sabha MP from Baharampur constituency in Murshidabad, Adhir Chowdhury faced defeat in the recent elections at the hands of Trinamool Congress’s Yusuf Pathan, a former Indian cricketer. Chowdhury’s tenure has been marked by vocal advocacy for electoral alliances with the CPI(M)-led Left Front, a stance that has often put him at odds with the central leadership of the Congress, especially under Mallikarjun Kharge.
In internal party circles, speculation abounds regarding who will succeed Chowdhury. Among the frontrunners mentioned is Isha Khan Chowdhury, the current Lok Sabha member representing Maldaha-Dakshin and the sole Congress MP from Bengal after the recent elections.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s resignation signals a period of transition within the Bengal Congress, highlighting ongoing challenges and strategic shifts as the party navigates its future course in the state’s political landscape.
